Gameday: Wizards @ Raptors, March 8th

To tank or not to tank has been the question seemingly plaguing the Toronto Raptors over the past couple of weeks, and this question will likely be prevalent in the minds of Toronto’s braintrust for the rest of the season. After an embarrassing showing against the Orlando Magic, in which multiple key players were sent to the bench in a close game, Toronto decided against that approach in last night’s game against the Utah Jazz. The level of teams that Toronto has been facing lately have made tanking a much more arduous task than it should be, and tonight’s game against the abysmal Washington Wizards won’t make bottoming out any easier.

Raptors Outlook: 21-42 | 13th in Eastern Conference | Off rating: 109.8 (26th) | Def rating: 115.4 (24th) | Net rating: -5.6 (25th)

Raptors Previous Results

Vs Utah W 118-109

@ Orlando W 114-113

@ Orlando W 104-102

@ Chicago 125-115 OTL

@ Indiana 111-91 L

Toronto is currently on a three game winning streak, which is cause for celebration for some, and a point of frustration for others. With starters in and out of the lineup Toronto has had to call upon Raptors 905 players to give them minutes, and through all the ups and downs, all the controversy and scandal, Toronto has managed to edge out some nice wins. Tonight against the Wizards, Toronto is facing a fairly young squad, who also has their own aspirations of a top pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Jakob Poeltl and RJ Barrett should be returning tonight, but Immanuel Quickley will be out for rest. Even without the full starting lineup, what’s left should be more than enough to handle this Wizards squad, at least without intervention from the Raptors coaching staff.

Wizards Outlook: 12-49 | 15th in Eastern Conference | Off rating: 105.7 (30th) | Def rating: 117.7 (28th) | Net rating: -12 (30th)

Wizards Previous Results

vs Utah W 125-122

@ Miami L 106-90

@ Charlotte W 113-100

vs Portland L 129-121

vs Brooklyn W 107-99

Surprisingly, Washington has won 3 out of their last 5 games coming into this matchup, a result that is probably not wanted by their front office. Washington is a young team that added some veteran help at the trade deadline in Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart, two long-time veterans who can help their young players grow. Even with these additions, Washington is still one of the worst offenses and defenses in the league, and they may be without Jordan Poole tonight which will make victory for Washington an even more difficult task.

Game Info

Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. ET

Television: Sportsnet 1

Radio: Sportsnet 590 The Fan